Caffeine is America's favorite stimulant and for good reasons. It's relatively safe, effective for getting stuff done, and it doesn't carry scary side effects like bad boy stimulants such as Adderall do. Americans consume the substance in staggering amounts every single day via coffee drinking. In fact, over half of the population sips on a cup of this hot tasty beverage every day! But it isn't all good when it comes to the benefits of caffeine and the honeymoon phase surely doesn't last forever...

The Good

There is a reason why millions of Americans use caffeine to start the day every single day and it isn't just because they are addicted to the stuff (believe it or not caffeine addiction is a real disorder and you can find out why here). This mild stimulant produces results. It allows people to get up and go a lot more easily and motivates them to get their work done. What more could the average American ask for when it comes to the work day?

The way caffeine works, tickles the brain if you will, is fighting off an area of the brain that promotes sleep. It essentially makes its way into the brain in order to tell it that now is not the time to go to sleep whenever it is present. And this is why people reach for that cup of coffee when they're feeling a little sleepy or, under much more unhealthy conditions, when they want to forgo sleep entirely and work into the night.

It also boosts dopamine and serotonin levels among other things which basically means more good things are to come for the person that is ingesting caffeine. These brain chemicals are responsible for your mood and the way you look at things. Dopamine in particular is there to make you a little more chipper and to motivate you to go, go, and then go some more. Serotonin is there to make you feel more content and happier. So, when you take caffeine you are boosting these essential brain chemicals and the end result is a happier and more motivated version of you. It is actually proven that regular coffee drinking literally fights off depression.

diminishing returns

We know that caffeine provides a plethora of benefits that are very relevant to improving our every day lives. But are there any downsides to the popular stimulant? The answer is yes. All is not good when it comes to coffee and caffeine. The fact of the matter is that the benefits wane over time.

Caffeine is no narcotic like heroin or methamphetamine but it is a drug and like these deadly narcotic drugs it falls prey to a phenomenon known as tolerance. The basic idea is that if you are drinking coffee every day then you are reducing the positive effects it has to offer to you. At a certain point you will merely be drinking it to feel normal or back to baseline.

You will always be able to use it in order to ward off sleepiness but the other pro cognitive benefits will be reduced greatly if not nonexistent with regular use. Some people simply cannot start the day without some caffeine via Their favorite brand of coffee and so they are caught in a cycle of dependence. This isn't really bad but it also isn't optimal.

How exactly can you get the most out of caffeine and take advantage of its brain benefits? The answer is simple: don't drink coffee everyday. The best pattern of usage is that which is sporadic and only there when you truly need it. Another example of a pattern you could use to avoid tolerance would be to drink coffee one day followed by two days off. This is a very easy way to avoid dependency.

Always there when you need it

Caffeine is extremely abundant as you can get coffee nearly everywhere these days. Again, over half of the population drinks the beverage every single day so they also consume caffeine every single day. Capitalists certainly want to make money off of this caffeine craze, something that will most likely never end, right?

It's a perfect way to start the day and get you awake, and in this way it will never let you down. There are many health benefits to drinking coffee and the main psychoactive substance in it, caffeine, has its own set of pro cognitive benefits. If you use it wisely then you can take advantage of these benefits for the rest of your life. The choice is yours.